Presser for wardrobe-trunks.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'FEDERICO VIDEGABAY, OFMEXICO, MEXICO.

PBESSER FOR WARDROBE-TRUNKS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FnDERIoo VIDEGARA'Y, a citizen of Mexico, residing in Mexico city, Mexico, have invented a certain new and useful Presser for 'VVardrobe-Trunks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a presser for wardrobe trunks, the function of the structure being to compress superimposed garments in a wardrobe trunk into tight engagement with one another, in positions interior of the trunk, so as to pack them in proper, pressed condition whereby, when they are removed from the trunk for use, they are not wrinkled or out of shape.

Various devices have been resorted to to accomplish this result, and many of these devices embodied bars, rods, or other elongated members, adapted to be positioned transversely of thetrunk and to cotiperate at their ends with securing means positioned interiorly of the trunk whereby the rod or bar may be secured in various positions to compensate for a varying number of garments which may, from time to time, be packed in the trunk.

Such a construction as generally described is shown in my prior Patent No. 1,159,342, November 2, 1915, for support for garment hangers, and in my co-pending application Serial No. 79,425, filed February 19, 1916, for wardrobe trunk, wherein the constructions shown are among the simplest which have yet been devised to accomplish the re sult sought. As a general rule, the structures employed to accomplish this result embody springs, adjustable catches or latches, ratchet arrangements, and other adjuncts and devices which are costly to manufacture and are very apt to get out of order or become broken. structures shown in the applications of my prior inventions aforesaid, is that. when ladies finery is packed in the trunk, lace or other fragile material is apt to get caught upon the bayonet slots, whereupon the withdrawal of a dress or other garment from the trunk causes the same to be torn. In many of the prior art devices, where projections, catches, or other expedients are employed, tearing of the garments is not infrequent, and these objections have long been stumbling blocks in this type of trunk.

With the. foregoing disadvantages in mind, the object of this invention is to provide a presser which will not only obviate The chief objection to the.

V Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Patented lVIar. 19, 1918. Application filed March 4, 1916. Serial No. 82,026. i

of apertures into which 'is adapted to fit one end of a rod. At one end of the rod is positioned means which,while allowing of the insertion of that end of the rod into one of the apertures of one securing device, when positioned in oblique relation thereto, will preclude the withdrawal of the rod when the same is substantially perpendicular thereto, but will allow of slight longitudinal movement of the rod. At the other end of the rod is a slot or notch which, when the rod is positioned in the corresponding securing device, engages with said securing deviceand locks the rod against longitudinal movement. N0 projections on which the garments may catch are present in this structure, and the operation of inserting and withdrawing the rod may be accomplished with expedition and celerity.

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparent from the hereinafterdetailed description taken in conjunotion with the accompanying drawings. V

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one, practical embodiment of the present'invention, but the construction shown therein is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention. 7

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a ward-' robe trunk embodying the present invention, the cover being removed in'the interest of clearness.

Fig. 2 is a central, vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a' transverse, horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig.1.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of one of the securing devices adapted to be positioned interior of the trunk;

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the form of transverse rod which I prefer to employ.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of therod. Fig. 7 is a section through the rod, on line 77 of Fig. 5, and 1 7 r Fig. 8 is a side elevation, fore-shortened, of a slightly modified form of compression,

rod.

rteferring to the drawings, A. designates a wardrobe trunk of any Well known, conventional form, provided at its upper portion with any suitable form of suspension member a, on which hangers a, adapted to support garments, may be suspended. Positioned interior of the trunk, at the opposite sides thereof and at equal distances from the ends of the trunk, are a pair of complementary securing members C, the preferred form of which is shownin detail perspective in Fig. 4. In such preferred form, these securing members are bent up from strips of metal, the ends of the strips being provided with laterally projecting arms 0 provided with apertures 0 through which screws or bolts may be passed for the purpose of securing the members to the interior wall of the trunk, and in positions substantially perpendicular to the base of the trunk. -Each securing member C is provided with a plurality of apertures c, preferably circular in shape, each member G having a like number of apertures similarly placed.

lVith securing members G cooperates a pressure rod D, shown in detail in Figs. 5, (Sand 7. Rod D is preferably of circular cross-section, slightly smaller than the diameter of the apertures 0, and is in length but slightly less than the width of the trunk.

In its preferred form, rod D is provided at one end with a laterally projecting lug or pin (Z, and near its other end is formed a notch (5. Rod D is adapted to enter apertures c of securing members C, in a manner next to be described, for the purpose of tightly compressing such garments as are to be packed in the trunk,

Assuming that rod D is detached from members 0 and that a plurality of garments B are supported upon the garment-hangers a within the trunk, the procedure of compressing the garments and securing them in place by rod D is as follows. Rod D is positioned obliquely, with its lugged end in juxtaposition with aperture 0 of one of the securing members C, which particular aperture will give the rod the proper position relative to the number of garments positioned in the trunk when said rod is moved to a position parallel to the base of the trunk. When the rod is in the oblique position described, and its relation to member O referred to is as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the projection (Z of the rod, as well as the corresponding end of the rod, may be passed through said aperture 0, whereupon the rod until the opposite end of the rod is in aline ment with aperture 0 directly opposite the one with which its other end is in engagement. Durin this operation, the rod is so positioned that the notched side thereof will face the open side of the trunk, for reasons which will presently be apparent.

A slight longitudinal movement is now .imparted to the rod, to bring the notched end within its corresponding aperture, to such extent that the notch will be in register with the aperture. This operation will have compressed the garments tightly within the trunk so that, if the manual pressure on rod D is removed, the pressure of the garments will force the rod forward, thereby causing notch (Z to engage with a portion of the securing member C adjacent the aperture 1? in which the notched end of the rod is positioned. \Vhen the notch is in engagement with member C as described, longitudinal movement of the rod is precluded, and, the pressure of the garments being in a direction to hold the notch in engagement with said member, no amount of rough handling of the trunk will unseat the rod.

When it is desired to remove the rod for the purpose of withdrawing the garments from the trunk, the operation described is reversed, it being understood that, to release the notched end of the rod, it is only necessary to apply manual pressure against the notched side thereof, which will free the notch from engagement with member C, whereupon the rod may be moved longitudinally sufficiently for its notched end to clear said member and allow of the removal of the rod after the manner of its insertion.

It will be manifest, from the foregoing description, that rod D is manipulated in a simple manner and without the necessity of any skill whatsoever, and, moreover, that it performs its function of compressing the, garments in a highly efficient manner; that to say, when once in compressing position, the pressure of the garments against the back side of the rod effectually precludes the disengagement of the rod from the securing'means, no matter how roughly the trunk is handled. The invention is, therefore, particularly applicable for use in wardrobe trunks and it is thus described in this environment, although, manifestly it might be used in stationary clothes closets or 'pressers. li'loreover, while I have shown in the drawings but a single rod for compressing the garments, a plurality of said rods might be employed, which rods would be positioned at different points longitudinally of the trunk, it being understood that with each rod would cooperate a pair of securing members C.

The structure hereinbefore described is the one which I prefer to employ, although it will be apparent that slight modifications may be made, from time'to time, in adapting the invention to its different environments,

'sively by a reciprocating,

and that slight structural changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention. Such a slight structural modification is shown in Fig. 8, wherein a somewhat modified form of rod D is shown. In the construction illustrated, rod

D, instead of being provided at one end with a lug (Z, and at its other end with a notch b, as is the case'with rod D, is formed at its opposite ends with annular channels (Z of reduced cross-section, which channels are positioned the same distance apart as the distance between the complementary securing members 0. Said channels are thus adapted to cooperate with the respective securing members to lock rod D at both ends instead of at one end only, as in the case of rod D. The invention is, therefore, to be understood to be as broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

In either of the structures hereinbefore described, it will be manifest that there are no projections on which parts of fluffy or fragile garments may catch and become torn, as absolutely smooth and uninterrupted surfaces are presented to the garments, the ends of the rod in either case being housed within securing members C. The present invention, therefore, entirely obviates the disadvantages inherent in prior art structures, besides dispensing with numerous working parts and adjustable adjuncts which have been generally employed, and this without, in any way whatsoever, decreasing the efficiency of the presser but, rather, increasing its efliciency, as the engagement between the parts is positive. They cannot, therefore, work loose or get out of adjustment, as has heretofore frequently been the case. 7

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a chamber in which garments are adapted to be packed, securing members positioned interiorly and at the opposite sides of said chamber, said members being provided with a corresponding number of oppositely positioned apertures, a rod in length slightly less than the width of the chamber, the opposite ends of which rod are adapted to be inserted into a pair oi. oppositely positioned apertures succeslongitudinal movement of the rod, in which position the rod exerts a pressure upon the garments in the chamber, said rod being cut away at one end to engage and embrace the edge of the cooperating aperture with which it is helc in engagement by the pressure of the garments against the rod.

2. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a. chamber in which garments are ada ted to be acked metallic plates positioned interiorly ended the oppothe chamber, said rod being cut away at one end to engage and embrace the edge of the cooperating aperture with which it is held in engagement by the pressure of the garments against the rod.

3. In a device of the class described, a wardrobe trunk adapted to house a plurality of superimposed garments, securing members positioned on the opposite sides of said trunk and interiorly thereof, said members being provided with a plurality of oppositely positioned apertures, and a rod in en gagement with said garments for compressing the same, the opposite ends of the rod being in engagement with a pair of oppositely positioned apertures in the securing members, one end of the rod being notched to engage and embrace the forward edge of the aperture in which said end of the rod is positioned, for the purpose of precluding longitudinal movement of the rod, the pressure of the garments on the rod serving to retain the notch in engagement with the edge of the aperture.

4. In a device of the class described, a pair of complementary securing devices adapted to be positioned in parallel, spaced relation, each of whichis provided with a plurality of apertures, in combination with a rod, the ends of which are insertible into the apertures of the oppositely positioned securing devices, said rod being provided at one end with a projecting lug which normally precludes the withdrawal of that end of the rod when the same is in an aperture, and the other end of the rod having a notch for engaging with the edge of the aperture inwhich the corresponding end of the rod is positioned whereby longitudinal movement of the rod is normally precluded when the rod is positioned in the apertures 5. In a device of the class described, a wardrobe trunk adapted to house a plurality of superimposed garments, securing members positioned in parallel relation on the opposite sides of the trunkand at substantially right angles to the base thereof, said securing members being provided with a plurality of apertures positioned in spaced relation longitudinally of the members, a rod adapted to be forced, under pressure, against the foremost garment and then, by a reciprocating movement, positioned with its opposite ends within two oppositely positioned apertures of the securing members, and means for locking the rod against longitudinal movement when in such position.

6. In a device of the class described, a wardrobe trunk adapted to house a plurality of superimposed garments, securing members positioned in parallel. relation on the opposite sides of the trunk, said securing members being provided with a plurality of apertures positioned in spaced relation longitudinally of the members, a rod adapted to be forced, under pressure, against the foremost garment and then, by a reciprocating movement, positioned with its opposite ends Within two oppositely positioned apertures of the securing members, and means operable by the pressure of the garments against the rod, for locking the rod against longitudinal movement when in such position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FEDERICO VIDEGARAY.

(Dopies of this patent may be obtained for five e ents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

